Live updates: RIM changes name, unveils new Blackberry phones

A developer version of one of the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones that Research… (Andrea Chang / Los Angeles…)

After more than a year of delays, the BlackBerry 10 operating system finally debuts during an elaborate global launch Wednesday morning.

Parent company Research in Motion is expected to roll out two smartphones powered by BlackBerry 10, one with a touch screen and the other featuring a traditional keyboard.

It's a product debut that many analysts and industry watchers are calling RIM's last hope at regaining relevancy in an iOS- and Android-dominant market.

In the last few years, the struggling Canadian company has lost significant share in the U.S. and other crucial markets as consumers flocked to smartphones sold by rivals. In an especially devastating blow to RIM, many businesses also have abandoned the brand.

The event -- which will take place concurrently in New York; Toronto; London; Paris; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Dubai -- will begin at 7 a.m. Pacific time. We'll be following along and giving you up-to-the-minute tweet updates here, followed by full coverage.